L.A. Auto Show: Mini E gets 156 miles on a battery charge
Evoking the 1972 Olympics may not be the best way to warm up a crowd, but BMW Chairman Norbert Reithofer nevertheless unveiled the Mini E with such a reference.
You see, an electric BMW drove alongside runners in that Olympic marathon (won by German-born U.S. runner Frank Shorter) -- an early start, Reithofer said, to the engineering of today's electric Mini.
The electric Mini, which shares the Cooper body, requires about two hours to charge its battery. It will be leased to 500 customers in Los Angeles and New York City. Lease terms and applications are on the Mini website.
The car will do zero to 60 in about 8.5 seconds and has a 95-mph top speed.
-- Peter Y. Hong
Photo: Danny Moloshok / Bloomberg News
For more photos of production cars from the show, click here.
I hope it's better than the 02 Cooper I have ! CVT transmission $7,000. Two power steering pumps at 680 each (both the trans and pumps were made by the same company). Electrical items are not the Cooper's strong point. Hope it comes with a Looooong warranty !
Posted by: Ed Orleman | November 19, 2008 at 05:02 PM